Mbeki Backed As Zimbabwe Mediator

South Africa’s new president made clear the desire of his country that former President Mbeki continue in his role as mediator for the conflict in Zimbabwe. President Kgalema Motlanthe made clear “our government has full confidence in Mr. Mbeki’s ability to build on the historic successes already made in the power-sharing negotiations under his mediation.” The situation in Zimbabwe has become critical because President Mugabe is using the departure of Mbeki from the presidency as an excuse to stall, if not kill, the power-sharing agreement. Mugabe, as always, prefers to create a stalemate in order to claim he really is trying. The only thing Mugabe is trying is how to get out of sharing any power with his rival, Morgan Tsvangirai.

It will take more than Mbeki to get the power-sharing agreement to be accepted and implemented. Other African nations must express their anger at the stall tactics of Mugabe.